Stamp-mill



(No Model.) 2 sneens-sheet'll.

E. REYNOLDS & E. CHESHIRE,

STAMP MILL. f l yNo. 595,651. Patented Deo. `1.4, 1897.

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NiTsD STATES PATENT Trice,

STAM P-MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,651, dated December 14, 1897.

Application filed March 13, `1897. I

' To all whom it 17a/ay concer/'77,:

Be it known that we, EDWIN REYNOLDS and EDWARD OHESHIRE, citizens of the United States, and residents of y Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and Stateof Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stamp-Mills, and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

Our improvements are hereinshown as part of the organization of an ore stamp-mill having the stamp connected pistons thereof raised by steam and driven on their descent by reaction of lair-cushions formed in said cylinders by the rise of said pistons, especial reference being had to a valve mechanism and means for imparting positive rotation to the aforesaid pistons, as hereinafter set forth with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

Figure l of the drawings represents a front elevation of a stamp-mill embodying our improvements and having certain of the parts broken away; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the same, partly in section; and! Fig. 3, a detail sectional view illustrating a single'automatic valve controlling admission and exhaust of steam from a pair of cylinders.

Referring by letter to the drawings,the mortars A, with suitably-arranged screens, amalgamating-plates, and dies, are similar to those ordinarily employed for ore stamp-batteries. The stamps are coupled to rods C C', that have play in glands at the lower ends of cylinders D D and depend from pistons E E', contained in said cylinders, the latter being preferably cast in one piece with an intermediate steam-chest F, provided with a chamber containing a rocker-valve G, that controls passages b b', by which communication between the steam-chest and cylinders is established, this valve being of the ordinary D variety and provided with circular end flanges that have free oscillation in the chambered portion of said steam-chest. The valve is organized, arranged, and operated to provide for admission of steam from one cylinder while the other is open to exhaust, it being understood that this action is alternate with respect to said cylinders, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

The cylinders D D' are provided with aper- Serial No.l 627,340. (No model.)

tured lugs at rest on nuts h', adjustable on vertical rods H, that are held by set-nuts h" in screw-thread engagement with the mortars.

In Fig. 3 the pistons E E' and valve G are shown in their relative positions at the instant of automatic reversal of said valve. This movement of the valve has opened the passage b to exhaust-port cof the steam-chest, so as to permit descent of pistonE, and at the same time the other passage Z9' has been opened to live steam that enters said chest through a port d, this live steam operating vagainst piston E' to elevate the same.

The suitably-packed stem G' of valve G extends through the outer end of a bonnet I at the front of steam-chest F, and a beam J, constituting a double-lever, has the middle portion thereof made fast to said stem. The ends of the lever are coupled to rods K K', that have pivot-joint connection with other rods L L' to thereby form jointed links, the upper ends of the latter rods or link-sections being connected to covered sockets M M', in which the flanged lower ends of tappet-bars N N' have their play. The tappet-bars are coupled to levers O O', in pivotal connection with brackets P P', hereinafter more particularly set forth, these brackets being also provided with guides e e' for the rods or link-sections L L', above specilied. The levers O O' have sliding play in blocks Q Q', in pivotal connectiony with hubs R R', looseon rods S S', that extend upward from the pistons E E' through glands on the upper cylinder-heads, each of the hubs being loose on the corresponding rod between upper and lower collars made fast to said rod, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing it will be understood that reciprocationv of the pistons E E' effects oscillation of the levers O O to actuate the tappet-bars N N', that in turn operate the flexible links coupled to the lever J, whereby the valve G is automatically oscillated to con--v trol distribution of steam to the cylinders D D', there being a certain amount of lost motion made necessary by variation in time of an up-and-down stroke of each piston due to the inuence of gravity.

The upper portion of each of the cylinders D D' is provided with ports f, that are normally open to free atmosphere, but when TOO either of the pistons E E approaches the end l tion therewith, whereby compensation is had of an upward stroke itoperat'es to cut off the air-ports of the corresponding cylinder, and the air coniined above these ports is compressed by continued ascent of said piston until there is an equilibrium of forces. Therefore we obtain the expansive force of compressed air to accelerate gravity descent of the aforesaid piston and thus increase the striking force of the corresponding stamp.

IVhere varying speeds and steam-pressu res may be used, it is necessary to vary the elastic effect of the compressed air. Therefore each cylinder may be provided with a'valvecontrolled pipe g near its upper end, as illustrated in Fig. 2, a slight adjustment of the pipe-controlling valve being sufficient to effect agreeable reaction of the air-cushion` to other varying conditions.

At a sufficient distance above the cylinders D D a horizontal rail T is supported on pipes Il at rest on the aforesaid cylinder-lugs and surrounding the vertical rods II, whereby the predetermined distance between saidv cylinders and rail is maintained independent of other conditions when the rail` is held fast against the upperends of the spacers or pipes by any suitable means-such, for instance, as the nuts z', herein shown run on the upper ends of said rods against said rail.

The above-described brackets-P P/ are made fast at their ends to the upper cylinder-heads and rail T, and this rail is provided with bearings for extended hubs of worm-wheels U U', these hubs being iianged above and below their bearings in order to holdV the wormwheels in fixed vertical relation to said rail.

Each of the rods S S engagesaworm-wheel hub and has spline connection therewith, this connection being clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, and in convenient relation to the worm-wheels are bearings i t, made part of the rail T to furnish support for a shaft V, havingr worms IV XV' thereon in mesh with said wheels. Fast on the worm-shaft is a ratchet-wheel X, and loose on said shaft, close to the ratchetwheel, is a lever Y, held to place by a set-collarj, as clearly illustrated in Fig. l. In pivotal connection with the free end of the lever is a pawl Z, that enga-ges the ratchet-wheel and is held in contact therewith by means of a spring 7t,said lever being connected by a link m with the sliding lever O', above specified.

By means of the lever-actuated pawl-andratchet mechanism slow intermittent rotation is imparted to the worm-wheels, and the latter transmittheir motion to the pistons E E,.in connection with the rods S S', to which said wheels are splined, the result being to vary the faces of the stamps to the material in the mortars, it being understood that said rods turn freely in the hubs R R thereon, so as not to disturb the valve mechanism above specified.

Adjustment of the nuts 7L 7L on the rods H effect a corresponding adjustment of the cylinders and various parts operative in connecfor wear of stamps and dies without disturbingthe valve-gear or the means for imparting rotation to the pistons.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

a steam-chest, a rocker-valve operative in the steam-chest to control passages communicating with the lower ends of the cylinders, a

double lever having rigid connection midway of its length with the valve-stem, jointed links having extremities thereof coupled to the ends of the lever and provided at their other eX- tremities with covered sockets, tappet-bars provided with end iianges having sliding play in the sockets, levers coupled to the tappetbars, and pivotal lever-guides connected to rods extending from the pistons.

2. In a stamp-mill the combination of apair ofcylinders, a single steam-chest in communication with both cylinders, a rocker-valve operative in thesteam-chest to control its coinmunication with the cylinders, pistons reciprocative in said cylinders, actuating mechanism for the valve cooperative with rods eX- tending from the pistons, stamps in rod connection` with said'pistons, and suitable mechanismarran ged to impart automatic intermittent rotary movement to each piston, whereby the faces of the stamps are varied with respect to the material in the mortars of the mill.

3. In a stamp-mill, the combination of a pair of cylinders, a single steam-chest communieatin g with both cylinders, an automaticallyactuated valve controlling admission and eX- haust of steam with-respect to said cylinders, vertical]y-reciprocative pistons in the cylinders,worin-wheels havin g their hubs arranged in suitable bearin gs, piston-rods in spline connection with the worm-wheel hubs, a shaft mounted in bearingsand provided with worms in mesh withthe aforesaid wheels, a ratchetwheel fast to the shaft, alever-controlled pawl operative in connection with the ratchetwheel, and an automatic lever actuating mechanism.

4. In a stamp-mill the combination of a pair of cylinders containing reciprocative pistons, a single valve arranged to control steam-passages leading into the cylinders,a double lever having rigid connection'midway of its length with the Valve-stem,.jointed links having eX- tremities thereof coupled to the ends of the lever and provided at their other extremities with covered sockets, tappet-barsprovided with end flanges having sliding play in the sockets, levers coupled to the tappet-bars, pivotal lever-guides connected to piston-rods, worm-wheels having their hubs arranged' in suitable bearings and in spline connection with the aforesaid piston-rods, av shaft mounted in bearings and provided with worms in mesh with the aforesaid wheels, a ratchetwheelfast to the shaft, a lever-controlled pawl IOO IIO

IZO

operative in connection with the ratchet- Wheel, and a link connecting the paWl-l'ever with one of the tappet-bar levers.

5. In a stamp-mill, the combination of vertical rods, supportsadjustable on the rods, a pair of cylinders having apertured lugs engaged by the rods and at rest on the adjustable supports, rod-encircling pipes at rest on the lugs, a horizontal rail supported by the pipes and engaged with said rods, brackets connected at their ends to cylinder-heads and the rail, a valve controlling steam-passages in communication With the cylinders, pistons reciprocative in the cylinders, a valve-gear in 

